


The Ember and The Shroud

by Softlight



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29536599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Softlight/pseuds/Softlight
Summary: “That was the Shroud?” Yang asked, incredulous.  “I thought she had disappeared.”“I’m sorry, I thought she died?” Ruby said, her brow furrowed.“No, she just… disappeared."
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 8
Kudos: 62





	The Ember and The Shroud

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Clayishh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clayishh/gifts).



> Happy severely belated birthday!! <3

Lady Yang of House Xiao Long, first of her name and eldest child of Lord Taiyang, felt alive and confined. Her blood was thrumming in her veins, and she subtly changed her grip on the axe at her belt as the meeting around her dragged on. Her visor was down in preparation for the meeting to turn bloody, but, so far, everyone was behaving themselves. Still, she stayed on her guard and watched the surrounding knights and warriors the others had brought. 

“The supply lines must be reopened,” Lord Jacques of House Schnee said, slamming his fist down onto the war table. “The merchants are in uproar and ready to revolt against me.”

“Your failure to handle your subjects does not make a problem for the rest of us,” Duke James of House Ironwood said coolly. “The supply lines must remain closed, otherwise their spies and assassins will be able to slip through far more easily. Do you know how many assassins we’ve had to stop as is?” Ironwood shook his head. “Closing the supply lines is the only way we can safely meet.”

“If he kept the merchants in line, this wouldn’t be a problem in the first place,” Lady Weiss muttered beside her, and Yang barely bit back a snort. Her sister in arms had mastered the art of quiet barbs from her years in her father’s court, a skill Yang had never quite managed to perfect. So she remained silent and tried to school her features into placidity.

“We are not here to discuss the opening of supply lines,” a smooth voice placated sharply. “Have we forgotten that the False Queen’s forces are marching on Beacon and will arrive in a mere few days’ time?” King Oscar asked. The boy king shook his head in disgust. “We need to organize and formulate our defenses, not squabble over petty issues.” He cut Lord Jacques a particularly icy glare. “How many squadrons are ready to move?”

“Half of our army is here, the other quarter just arrived and is en route to Vale. The rest will remain to guard the people in Kuo Kuana,” a deep voice said from the other end of the table. “We spared as many as we could.”

“Your sacrifice and numbers have been noted, Duke Ghira,” King Oscar said. “Your support is deeply appreciated.” Oscar relaxed back in his chair at the head of the table, but Yang’s eye slid to the warriors behind Duke Ghira. 

Menagerie was a recent addition to their alliance against the False Queen, and it was Yang’s first time seeing the duke and his famed rebels turned warriors. Behind him stood two of his soldiers, although Yang would’ve had no way of discerning their allegiance if not for their position behind the duke. The warrior to the duke’s left wore simple and flexible leathers and held a flexible rapier at her side. Her dark red hair was coiled into a braid and pulled over her shoulder, and her freckled face was still as stone, although it had been impossible to miss her skin changing colors earlier. If Yang had to guess, she was a spy for the duke, but she didn’t doubt that the warrior could use that rapier to skewer her. The ferocity of the former rebels was renowned, and she knew the duke was smart enough to bring protection to this meeting. Or she hoped he was, at least with the way Jacques was sneering at him.

The other warrior wore dark chain mail and leathers, obviously built for mobility over protection. There was little embossment or fancy detailing on the armor as some of the more famous knights preferred, save for simple floral metalwork to buckle the leathers. The metal was more function than formality, but Yang admired the simple flair, especially given her own armor that bordered on outlandish, if Weiss was to be believed. The warrior’s blade, while sheathed, was well-crafted from Yang’s limited eye, and she had no doubt that the woman knew how to use it from her relaxed but wary posture. The warrior’s face was hidden behind a helmet, and Yang was too far away to make out any details save for the ears that poked out from her helmet. 

She turned her attention back to the table, even if her instincts told her to keep an eye on the other warriors in the room. While Patch had few enemies, especially when compared to some of the others in the room, she had deterred far too many would-be assassinations to allow herself to be comfortable. Even if they were all there and united by a common purpose, a common good, it was impossible for her to completely trust the others around the war table, especially those like Lord Schnee, who she could never bring herself to even tolerate if only from Weiss’s account of growing up under his iron fist.

“Our utmost priority has to be the people,” her sister, Lady Ruby and heiress to Patch, said, her high voice cutting through the room. “We have to keep as much of the fighting sequestered from Beacon as possible, but we also need to be mindful and keep a portion of our forces back to directly protect the people.”

“It would be smarter to not divide our forces,” Ironwood countered. “We need to present a united front and face her head on.”

“If she was a moral enemy, I would agree with you, but I have no doubt that she would leverage the lives of our people against us,” Ruby said. “And I’m not willing to risk civilian lives on the presumption that she will play fair.”

“Neither am I,” Duke Ghira rumbled. “We fight to protect our people from this enemy, and there is no point in winning the battle if we fail the people.”

Oscar nodded, and his fingertips were just touching as his hands splayed out. “We’ll need a third of our army to protect the city,” he mused. “Duke James, how many soldiers are we anticipating the False Queen to be bringing?”

“With our full army, we’re looking at two to one in her favor,” Ironwood said grimly. “If we’re leaving a third of our forces behind, that brings us to three to one, roughly.”

“Those are not ideal odds,” Lady Maria said in the suddenly silent room. “But we’ve made it out of worst scrapes before.” She slammed her cane down onto the floor, even though everyone was already paying attention to her. “Plus, the bitch doesn’t know we’re all here, so we have the element of surprise on our side. It may not be ideal, but it’s something.”

“We should leave Beacon undefended,” Jacques said. Weiss stiffened beside her, and Yang didn’t miss the way her sworn-sister’s hand casually fell on the hilt of her sword. “If we fall in this battle, the third protecting the city won’t matter against the onslaught of her forces. There’s no point.”

“Beacon is fortified for a siege,” Ghira countered. “If we have to retreat, that third of our forces will help us get the wounded inside the walls and hold off the armies until we can close off the city gates. They’ll be our last line of defense, and we should hope we don’t have to fall back, but the reality is we have to prepare for the worst.”

“If we have to fall back and prepare for a siege, those wounded will just be more mouths to feed when winter comes,” Jacques sneered. “We should lockdown the city before her troops arrive and settle in until spring. Her armies won’t be prepared for such a long siege, and we’ll leave the siege refreshed and in fighting shape.”

“But by your own logic, that fails,” Ironwood said. “We don’t have enough food for all of our armies to stay nourished during the winter, nevermind those that we would lose to the elements alone. No, we need to make a stand.” The Duke nodded at the king. “We cannot allow ourselves to cower before we’ve even fought.”

“Which is why we need to keep a portion of our forces back,” Ruby said. “Worst comes to worst, they allow for more lives to go on for another day. And isn’t that why we’re fighting? So our people can keep on living?” 

King Oscar nodded. “Indeed,” he said quietly, and Yang was struck by how old the young boy seemed. War was funny like that. He straightened up, reaching for the papers in front of him. “Mistralian forces will guard the city while the rest of our armies meet the False Queen’s head on.” Oscar stood up and moved the pieces around the map to encircle Beacon. 

Her sister relaxed in her chair, and Yang wished she could give her a comforting touch. Ruby was so young, and she had taken on the role of heir more readily than Yang could have ever. While the title usually followed the eldest child, Ruby’s silver eyes had made her the heir apparent, something Yang had never held against her. How could she? Not when she saw the burden of inheritance. No, she was all too happy to protect her sister and swear to serve her. 

“That went well,” Weiss murmured as they left the war room, guarding Ruby’s back. 

Yang frowned, but she didn’t say anything until they reached the chambers King Oscar had generously given Ruby when they had arrived all those months ago. Once the door was closed, Ruby sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Was I wrong?” Ruby asked, looking up at them as she sat down on the luxurious couch. “It’s the right thing to do, isn’t it?”

Yang opened her mouth to respond, but Weiss was already at her sister’s side and rubbing her back. “You advocated for the right thing,” Weiss said. “The people need to be our priority, and King Oscar knows that.”

“I know,” Ruby said, her shoulders slumping. “I just- Weiss, your father is awful!”

Yang snorted, and Weiss cut her a glare. “What? He is.”

“You’re not wrong,” Weiss sighed. Ruby rubbed Weiss’s back, and Yang set about stripping her own armor off. “After everything we’ve gone through, he’s still only concerned with his riches. It’s disgusting. He’s a disgrace.” Weiss’s face flickered with disgust. 

“We’ll focus on your father later,” Yang said gently. “Right now, we need his resources. We can deal with his fucked up priorities after we deal with the False Queen.” She stretched out her arms and took off the majority of her weapons, including the hefty double bladed axe on her back, but she kept the small axe at her belt on. “King Oscar has made it clear that he won’t stand for Jacques’s bullshit, though. And that’s a start.” Yang took a deep drink from the flask at her hip, revelling in the cool water. “Once our kingdom isn’t on the verge of collapse we’ll deal with it. We always do.”

“What did you think of Duke Ghira?” Ruby asked, nonchalantly stripping out of her more formal wear and trading it in for her nightwear. “He seems like a good ally for Oscar.”

“He does,” Weiss agreed. “I’m more worried about his army than him, though. How many of them were looting and pillaging Vale a matter of months ago, and they’re now supposed to be fighting alongside us?” Her sworn-sister snorted. “It’s naive to believe that they’re going to respect our forces with ease.”

“The King said he was going to try and keep the rowdiest forces separate,” Ruby said. “Especially Atlesian forces, so primarily they’ll be fighting alongside Mistralian forces and our own.” 

“I’ll give a talk to our troops in the morning,” Yang said, washing her face and hands. “If any of them start shit with the forces from Menagerie, I’ll make it clear exactly what will happen to them.” The forces from Patch, while small and close knit, didn’t have much experience with the Faunus. There were few Faunus on their island, and while the past few decades had seen a notable decrease in tension, especially when compared to the rest of Remnant, Yang knew from her own travels how far they had to go. 

“Still, it’s worrying that he brought the Shroud as his protection,” Weiss said. 

Yang stilled, turning back around. “That was the _Shroud_?” she asked, incredulous. “I thought she had disappeared.”

“That was her,” Weiss said grimly. “We had a run in a few years back in Mistral. We had both been called to dispense justice over a case. A thief had tried to steal from a Faunus family, and the mother ended up killing the thief.” Weiss’s nose wrinkled with brugruding respect. “I hate to admit it, but I’m glad she’s here. If anyone can reign in the extremists left in Ghira’s forces, she can.”

“I’m sorry, I thought she died?” Ruby said, her brow furrowed. 

“No, she just… disappeared,” Weiss said. “A few months after the White Fang was forcibly disbanded by the Duke and his forces took down Adam Taurus.” The room went cold then, and Weiss pointedly wasn’t looking at Yang as she continued. “If she had died, my father would’ve declared it a day of celebration. I just assumed she was lying low.”

“And now she’s working for Duke Ghira,” Yang said, her shoulders stiff. “Do we need to be concerned?” The Shroud’s work was infamous, and even if Yang agreed with her cause, she disagreed with her methods. The assassinations, the kidnappings, the barters… 

“I imagine the Duke is keeping her on a tight leash,” Weiss said. “But I don’t know why she’s here, and that _is_ concerning.”

“Do you think she poses a threat?” Yang asked. She knew logically that their so called allies wouldn’t try anything until the False Queen was defeated, but she wouldn’t put it past any of them to start putting the chess pieces into place, nor would she assume that any of their opponents were smart enough to know that attempting to hurt Ruby would only bring hell down. 

Weiss paused for a moment. “She’s more of a threat to my father and Ironwood than anyone else,” she said finally. “Atlas is the last duchy holding out in regards to Faunus rights, but I think she has to know that if she kills my father, the anti-Faunus sentiment will only solidify in Atlas. She has to be smarter than assassination.”

Yang nodded, and her hand rested on the axe at her hip. “Where are Duke Ghira’s chambers?” she asked.

“Yang,” Ruby warned. “You cannot go and threaten the Shroud.”

“I wasn’t,” she said. “Weiss?”

Weiss blew an invisible strand of hair out of her face. “They’re down the hall, to the left, and past the tapestry of Ozma the First,” she said. “And I have first watch, so go to bed. Both of you.” Her icy eyes narrowed, and Yang had to bite her tongue to keep from fighting her. 

“Fine,” she said. She didn’t move until Weiss left their chambers, and she turned to her sister, now seated on her bed. “How are you feeling?” she asked gently, moving to grab the brush from the vanity before sinking onto the mattress behind her sister. Ruby groaned, but Yang shushed her and began running the bristles through her short hair. 

“I’m alright,” Ruby said with a sigh. “I’ll come down with you tomorrow to talk to our forces.” A pause. “Are you sure-”

“That I don’t want you anywhere near the battlefield?” Yang finished, gently pulling on the brush and through the knots. “I’m sure.”

Ruby groaned. “I can fight, Yang! I should be there, I should be leading our forces, and I should be risking my life along with them. I don’t feel right staying in Beacon when everyone else is fighting.”

“I know,” she said. “But you know that we need you to keep the other leaders in line. You can fight, and we all know you can fight and would be with us if you could, but it’s more important that you survive the battle, Ruby. It’s more important that you survive for the world to come, because _when_ we win, we need someone to lead us. And I think we would all rather have you and Oscar than Jacques or Ironwood.” She kept her strokes in even measures and quietly added, “I know it’s a hell of a situation, but please, for our sake, stay in Beacon. Protect Oscar.”

Ruby sighed, but Yang knew she would. Ruby would do what needed to be done, even if she didn’t want to. She was an idealist, her sister, and the world ate idealists up. Yang needed to protect her so they could make a world where Ruby could thrive. 

She ran her fingers through her sister’s hair and ruffled the strands with a smirk. “Come on, let’s get you in bed,” she said, standing up off the mattress and putting the brush back. “We got a long day tomorrow.”

**Author's Note:**

> Part two is on the way!


End file.
